Irish House Names

Many people have asked me for suggestions on Irish names for their houses. So, the last time I was in Ireland, I wrote down all of the names of the houses I happened to see. Most of these houses were in the West of Ireland, although there are some from the south, and near Dublin as well. There is a fair range of both rural and urban house names. I have tried to translate them, or to explain them as best I could. However, since house names are very personal, and in many cases passed down through generations of homeowners, many of the meanings are hard to explain. 

Name	Possible Meaning
Abbey View	There are a lot of abbeys in Ireland, some of the in ruins, and some of them still working. The two houses I happened to see with this name were located near ruins of medieval abbeys.
Acacia Cottage	Although acacias are best known for being the main staple of giraffes' diets, there are varieties that grow in northern climates. This house had one growing in the front yard.
Aintree
Airne Mor	Airne is the word for "sloe," a type of berry that grows wild in Ireland (from which you make sloe gin). "mor" means "big." This house was located in Killarney, or Cill Airne in Irish, meaning "Church of the sloes."
Aisling House	Aisling means "dream; vision." It's a type of poem in which Ireland is portrayed as a beautiful woman in distress. You may know such songs/poems as "Eileen McMahon" and "Roisin Dubh [Dark Rosaleen]" these are examples of Aisling poems. Aisling is also used as a girls' name in Ireland.
Alameda
Alcantara	This is the site of a battle during the Crusades.
Alverstone
Amesbury House
Aranview	This house has a view of --what else? The Aran Islands.
Ard na Gréine	Ard means "height; peak." na gréine means "of the sun." You could translate this name to mean "Sunny Heights."
Ard na Mara	Ard means "height; peak" and mara means "sea." This house was on a hill and on a clear day you could see the ocean.
Ard-Aulinn	Ard means "height; peak." Aulinn is probably an anglicization of álainn, which means "beautiful."
Ardbrae	Ard means "height; peak." Brae is a Scots term meaning "hill." This house was actually on a pretty flat area in the middle of a city--maybe the owners just liked the sound?
Ardeevin	Ard means "height; peak." Eevin--may be an anglicization of aoibhinn, meaning "delightful; pleasant."
Arden
Arden House
Ardline House
Ardlui	Ard means "height; peak." luí means "state of rest?" I'm not sure this is what the owners had in mind--maybe they have another meaning.
Ardmachree	Ard means "height; peak." Machree may be an anglicization of mo chroí, which means "my heart."
Ardmore	Ard means "height; peak." More is probably an anglicization of the Irish mór, meaning "big; large."
Ardross	Ard means "height; peak." Ross could come from rós, meaning "rose"
Ascot House	Maybe the owners of this house like to wear bow-ties?
Ashford Crest
Ashmere
Ashton
Auburn
Avalon	The mythical place where King Arthur sailed to after he died.
Ave Maria	"hail Mary" in Latin.
Avila	St. Teresa of Avila's home town in Italy.
Avoca House
Avondale, Avondale Cottage	Perhaps a reference to the Irish patriot Charles Stewart Parnell, who was known as "The Blackbird of Avondale." Parnell's house, in Co. Wicklow, was called Avondale Cottage.
Ballineen
Ballybrack Cottage
Ballycarberry View	There is a castle outside of town called Ballycarberry. The front door of this house is sort of facing the direction of the castle.
Ballyneen
Ballyroan	Perhaps from baile rón, "town of seals"?
Banba	One of a trio of Celtic goddesses. Banba was one ancient name for Ireland.
Barnakyle House	Perhaps from bearna, "gap" and coill, "woods."
Beech Lawn House	Beech trees grew in the front yard.
Beechwood	Probably there are beech trees growing.
Bellwood
Blackrock
Blackthorn House
Blasket Mist	This house has a view of the Blasket Islands.
Bon-Accord	means 'good agreement' in French; it's the ancient motto for the city of Aberdeen in Scotland.
Breffni	Breffni is a common name for houses/buisnesses etc. in Ireland. I'm not exactly sure where it originates from. It was a region in Ireland, I think the name may have originated with the Normans.
Bremartin
Brigéis
Broadway	The sign for this house was on a NY license plate!
Brookside
Burnley
Cahercasey	Caher is probably an anglicization of cathair, meaning "castle." Casey is a surname.
Cairn	A "cairn" is a mound of stones. Ireland is full of cairns, erected by pre-Celtic peoples as markers for grave sites and the like.
Carrigane House
Carrigbeg	Probably an anglicization of carraig beag, meaning "little rock."
Carrygerry
Carty House
Cashlea
Castlequin
Cedarwood
Ceol na bPáistí	This means "music of children," which is fitting, since the people who live here have 5 children, most of whom play instruments and/or sing!
Church View
Chutehall
Clár Eanna	"St. Enda's plain"
Clareville
Cloneen
Clonmara
Cois Cottage
Cóis Dara	cois means "coast" and dara means "oak tree."
Comeragh House
Coolgreen
Coolroe Lodge
Cotter
Cranfield
Cuala
Cuana-Keen
Cunlin
Curraghgowen
Dal Cais
Darcy's Cottage
Direen
Doon Moon
Dooneen Faim
Doonmacfelim	McFelim's fort
Dough Lodge
Drom Aluinn	"beautiful mountain"
Dromore (x2)	"great mountain"
Dún Muire	St. Mary's fort.
Duneata
Dunlow
Dysart
Earl House
Eichna mBroc
Elm Lodge
Ennisfree	There is a poem by William Butler Yeats that is called "the Lake Isle of Innisfree." Lots of houses have been called Innisfree, probably influenced by this poem. This particular house was in Ennis, Co. Clare. Perhaps it’s a take-off on Innisfree! Incidentally, "Ennis" and "innis" are anglicizations of the same Irish word: inis, which means "island."
Ennismore	perhaps, inis mór, "great island"
Evergreen House
Ferndown
Fox Cottage
Fuchsia
Gabion
Gleann Fia	"glen of the red deer"
Gleann na Smót	Glen of ?? I am not familiar with the word "smót."
Gleanna House	"Glen house"
Glen Cove
Glen Haven
Glen Holme
Glen River House
Glenbeg	gleann beag, "little glen"
Glencullen	perhaps  gleann cuillean , "glen of the holly", or perhaps the family's last name is Cullen.
Glenfinsk
Glenlevan
Glenmore	gleann mór, "great glen"
Glenquin
Glenwood
Gort na mBláth	"field of flowers"
Green Gables
Grey Gables
Hazeldene
Hillview (x2)
Homedale
Inisfree	inis fraoch, "island of heather." It was made popular by William Butler Yeats's poem, "The lake isle of Innisfree."
Iona	This is the name of an island off the western coast of Scotland. It is known for it's monastic community.
islandmore House	Probably the "more" is an anglicization of mór, meaning "big."
Iveragh
Ivy House	You guessed it! This house was covered in ivy!
Kells	This is the name of a town in Co. Kerry. It was here that the famous Book of Kells was written. The house with this name is probably in honor of the book , or the town.
Kerlow
Kerry Edge Cottage	This house was right on the border between Kerry and Tipperary.
Kilalla Cottage	perhaps from Cill Ala, "church of St. Ala." Killala is the name of a town in Co. Mayo. However, this house was in Co. Kerry.
Kilbrian	cill Bríon, Brian's church.
Kilcoolaght
Kilkerrin	possibly from cill ciarán, St. Kieran's church.
Killilagh House	see "Kilalla Cottage."
Kilmaar
Kilnoe House
Kincora House
Klondyke house
Knock Grena	Perhaps an anglicization of cnoc gréine or "sunny hill."
Knockliscrena	perhaps cnoc lios críona, "hill of the fort of the heart?"
Knocknagow
Kraceevee
Kylea House
Kylemore House	anglicization of coill mór, "large woods."
Kylie Farmhouse	perhaps these people are fans of Australian pop music.
La Chasse
La Salette	Hmmm. In French, "salette" would mean "little dirty person." I'm sure the namers of this house had another meaning in mind, but I'm not sure what it is! Maybe they meant "la saulette"--"The little willow tree"?
La verna	This means "spring" in Spanish.
Lansdowne House
Lansing
Laurel Villa
Les Charmilles	French for "the arbors," or "the bowers."
Lios a Dun	lios means "fort" and dún means "hill fort."
Liosmoine
Lisieux	Probably named for St. Thérèse de Lisieux, aka "St. Teresa, the Little Flower."
Liskennet	possibly lios cionnait, "fort of St. Ciannait"
Lismaura	Perhaps from Lios Máire, "Mary's fort," or Lios Muire, "St. Mary's fort?"
Loyola	probably named for St. Ignatius Loyola
Lynville
Manresa
Marbatt
Margryce
Marylands Cottage
Maryville
Massabielle	Named for the grotto where St. Bernadette Soubirous saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France.
Matsu
Meadow House
Meadow View
Mercedes	named for the Spanish Santa Maria de los Mercedes, "Mary of the Mercies." She is called "Mary of the Ransom" in English.
Mignon	French for "little darling."
Mirton
Mizen
Monaleen
Montrose
Moravan
Mountain House
Mountshannon	This was on a hill overlooking the Shannon.
Mt. Xavier's
Naomh Eoin	Irish for "St. John."
Naomh Treasa	Irish for "St. Teresa."
New Strand House
Northfield
Northland	This house is on Northland Rd.
Oaklands
Oban	Oban is an island off the West coast of Scotland.
Ohermong House
Olivette	Perhaps a reference to Mt. Olivet (the Mount of Olives, in Jerusalem)
Overdale
Padua	Probably named for St. Anthony of Padua. This is a pretty common name for houses in Ireland. I cam across at least 3 of them.
Páirc Lodge	Páirc is an Irish word meaning "park." It also means "field."
Park View
Parkanna	This may be an anglicization of páirceanna, meaning "fields; parks."
Pentland
Prague	Perhaps in commemoration of the Infant of Prague.
Primrose Cottage
Railway View
Rathlea
Rathvarna	An Anglicization of rath bearna, meaning "ring-fort of the gap"
Red House Hill
Richmond
Riverside House
Riverview
Rockfield
Rosarie	probably either from a name formed by the word "rosary," or a rose garden.
Rose	This house was right next door to one called, simply, "Fuchsia."
Rose Cottage	One house I saw with this name had a beautiful rose garden. Another had a single yellow rose bush. This is a fairly popular name for houses, especially those that have roses growing around.
Rose-etta
Rosemount
Roseville
Roslein	In German, Roslein is a diminutive of Rose.
Rossard
Roughty House
San Antonio	Probably in honor of the Italian St. Anthony of Padua.
San Giovanni	Italian for St. John
San Mathilde	St. Matilda
Sancta Maria	Latin for St. Mary
Santa Cruz	"Holy cross" in Spanish.
Santa Lucas	"St. Luke" In Spanish.
Scart house
Seaview Cottage
Séine	This is the genitive singular of sian, Meaning "whistling, plaintive, squealing, hum of voices." Hmm. Maybe they mean Seine, the river running through Paris. A "seine" is also a type of fishing net.
Serenity
Shalimar
Shalom	This means "peace" in Hebrew, and is also used as a greeting. In Ireland, it seems fairly popular as a house name--I ran across at least 3.
Shannon View	This house had a lovely view of swans gliding among discarded shopping carts in the River Shannon.
Sheen Lodge
Shelly Way
Shelton
Slieve Rua	"red mountain"
Slíghe Dhála	"crossroads?" "place with lots of shells?"
Springbok
Springdale
St. Andrew's
St. Anne's
St. Ann's
St. Anthony's Villa	After looking frantically for her keys for several minutes, the owner of this house jokingly said "I'm always losing my keys, why do you think I call it St. Anthony's?" (St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost things)
St. Clare's
St. Gabriel
St. Gerard's
St. Helen's
St. Joseph
St. Jude's	Maybe these people had a tough time getting a mortgage! (St. Jude is the Patron of lost causes)
St. Margaret's
St. Martin
St. Martin's
St. Rita's
St. Teresa's	St. Teresa is the most popular saint to name houses after in Ireland! There are also houses named for a specific St. Teresa (see Avila and Lisieux).
St. Theresa
St. Theresa's
St. Therese
Suantraí	"lullaby"
Suncroft
Sunlee
Sunnybank
Sunrise
Sunville
Tall Trees
Tamara
Taoibh Coille	"wood side"
Tara	This is probably the most popular house name in Ireland. I saw numerous Taras! Tara is the hill where the kings of Ireland were crowned.
Tarmon
Teahan
The Arches
The Cottage
The Elms
The Gables
The Grotto	There are many grottos all over Ireland. Many date back to pre-Christian times, although they have all been Christianized, and are usually associated with particular saints.
The Ivies
The Kyrenia	This house was near a river. I think "kyrenia" is an anglicized way of spelling "siren." That is, the Greek meaning of siren--the mythological beast-- not what you hear when you're about to get a speeding ticket!
The Parklands
The Turret
The Willows
Thomond House
Tivoli	A city in Ancient Rome from which many saints and popes came.
Topsao
Trilliums
Tyone
Valhalla	In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the place where warriors slain in battle go after they die.
Valley View
Villa Maria
Villa Rose
Warleigh
Weston
Wilmount
Windswept House
Withypool
Wood Haven
Wood-side
Woodview
Woodville